H.—3o.

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Mr. Witters : Perhaps you had something you did not want to disclose to us. It was very nice of you, but at the same time I do not think you went further than telling us that there were numerous withdrawals all round New Zealand. Mr. Fraser: They would not ship in your vessel. You knew that only too well at the time. Mr. Witters : On account of the insulation ? Mr. Fraser : I don't say that at all, but the shippers would not ship in that vessel. Mr. Lysnar : It was an organized boycott, and it is a pity you don't know it. There was nothing else you could put your finger on to prevent their shipping. Mr. Witters : They would not give you their reasons. We did not come here to have an argument. We want to deal with the position in the best possible way. We want to save an equity in that ship and you can help us. We do not think that you will still go out of your way. It is purely a business proposition. You include us in the next contract, and we want to see that she is in this contract subject to the following conditions. Those conditions we don't want to be ashamed of. Mr. Jones : Those conditions would not come into the contract. Mr. Witters : A prospective purchaser would perhaps apply to you . . . Mr. Jones : You say your prospective purchaser ? Mr. Witters : If we found a purchaser in the meantime. Mr. Jones : You are indicating that you may sell given a favourable opportunity. You are asking to be included in the next year's contract with the right to sell that, year's trade to the prospective buyer. Mr. Witters : We want you to let her see that trip out. We think it quite reasonable for you to say, " Now, that ship has left England to take up a load of meat. You can use your discretion whether she will see a second trip or not under the new ownership." But at least you won't intercept during the currency of any one trip. It is a fair thing. Mr. Jones: Yes, and if your letter had reached this Board eight or nine days earlier you would have been in this year's contract. The actual contract was not signed until the sth January. If your letter had reached us about a week earlier your vessel could have been in this year's contract. Mr. Witters: It is not for you to canvass for ships to put in that particular contract. You should have asked us if we wished the " Codrington " included if you had any doubt. Mr. Jones : I had no cloubt at all after Mr. Lysnar's statement to me and the position in which the company was in. We looked upon the Poverty Bay Company as being absolutely out. Mr. Witters : As far as the works were concerned. Mr. Jones: We had absolutely no idea that your boat was thinking of coming into the trade, and if you had approached us only about ten days earlier your vessel could have gone into this year contract. Mr. Witters : Without any further evidence to satisfy you on that point . . . Mr. Jones : While you take exception to it, 1 claim I was absolutely within my rights to go to the receiver and say, " Who does this boat belong to ? " Mr. Lysnar : You should have communicated with us. Mr. Jones : If you had approached us ten days earlier you would have been in this year's contract. Mr. Withers : You know that we were particularly busy. We did not know until twenty-four hours before that we could not save the works. I would have thought that you might have brought it under our notice. However, I say again, that is gone. The contract has been signed and we are not in it, and we want to be assured by you that we will be in next year's contract. I repeat that we have lost considerably in the works, and we are likely to lose considerably in the ship, but there is equity in the ship without doubt, which you can help us to save. Mr. Jones : Is it reasonable to ask this ? Your vessel is for sale on the 21st of this month. Mr. Lysnar: They threaten to do it, but if we can assure them that she wil Ibe in the next contract it will go a long way to allay their fears. Seeing she is not in the contract, they are at a loss to understand why she is not. If you can assure us that she will be in the contract it will go a long way. Mr. Jones : Have the directors got anything in their minds in connection with this sale, or any prospective purchaser, that you are not giving to us which we could base a better judgment ? Mr. Witters : Absolutely none. Mr. Lysnar: That is no concern of the Board. Mr. Jones : What is the point there that you can say is unreasonable. I told you the reason for the last clause. It is simply this : that it makes clear the law as is laid down in the Meat Control Act. We allot the meat to the vessel, but we cannot guarantee the shipment of it. Mr. Lysnar: The Board can Mr. Jones : The position, Mr. Lysnar, is very clear as far as the Board is concerned. If you are cabling the information that we are discussing this afternoon to Britain, they may not have the information that is in our possession, and we wish to make it clear that the fact of putting the vessel into the contract does not automatically fill her with meat. Mr. Lysnar : They know that from past experience. Mr. Witters: ... . Mr. Jones : I have no objection at all, Mr. Witters. Mr. Witters : They will know that she will have to comply with the usual conditions. This is certainly a usual condition . . . Why create any uneasiness in our minds ? Mr. Lysnar: We admit that. We are not fools. Mr. Witters : The thing can be cleared up quite satisfactorily, there is no question about that. I think that we have discussed this thing enough, and it is for the Board to give us a consent in writing, because we are waiting here for this.